Katine villagers share their thoughts on the project

As part of its annual report on the Katine community partnerships project (KCPP), Amref asked villagers and staff for their thoughts on the work carried out in the sub-county over the last year. We select a few of their comments. Click here to read the full report and summary.

Health

In August, Amref trained 15 community vaccinators to support health workers begin an immunisation programme. The Ugandan government has launched an expanded immunisation programme to help protect under fives from killer diseases.

Lucy Ariamo, the only health worker running Ojom health centre II

"I am glad they sent us vaccinators. They have simplified our work; we are now not overloaded like before. Before, you had to handle patients here, but you also had to carry out community outreaches. It's difficult working alone. And when drugs arrive the number of patients increases, yet I still have to carry out immunisation activities too. I wouldn't have managed on my own. But now they [community vaccinator] can work on the immunisation side as I also handle other things."

Alfred Okurut, KCPP project assistant for health

"It was necessary to train community vaccinators so that these services reach hard to reach areas.

"The challenge with training many people is that when the project winds up, maintaining those people by the health centres is hard. We had to agree on the number to be trained."

Pamela Akiror, from Oderai village in Olwelai Parish, a community medicine distributor trained as a community vaccinator

"The training gave me more skills in vaccination and I can help the community. You imagine Oderai is very far from here [Tiriri health centre IV], when it comes to immunisation the number coming here is small because it's far. The number of children immunised has been very small, but since we have started carrying out outreaches the number will be big."

Education

One of the areas Amref focused on was getting parents involved in their children's education and making local teaching materials. A training day on developing resources attracted more than 150 parents and 20 teachers.

Otim Onyang, headteacher of Ochuloi primary school, recalls his early days as a teacher

"In those days, it was prestigious to be a teacher. Teachers loved their work and were highly motivated to teach. It was mandatory that a teacher had to prepare teaching aids before entering any class to teach."

Water and sanitation

Empowered Village health teams (VHTs) to bring change in their community by promoting good hygiene and sanitation.

Emmanuel Olege, who undertook VHT training, was inspired to promote the message to his community through music, dance and drama and set up the Kalela Sanitation Club

"The group started to educate communities about sanitation in particular and health in general. They moved around homes, markets and churches raising awareness to people on these issues.

"During the training I realised that in our community we were backwards. That is why I decided at least to pass on sanitation and health messages to community members. Most of them picked up on what we were teaching them. Besides, each group member made sure that they had latrines, a drying rack and other things we are talking about at their home. This is a new development in our village."

Samuel Okiror, another member of the group

"It [the group formation] has already brought change in the communities evidenced by the number of latrines in the community. Members have latrines in their homes and this is a role model to other homes."

Livelihoods

Amref has set up 18 farmers groups and village savings and loans associations to grow high-yielding cassava, develop markets and give villagers a safe place to save and borrow money.

Julius Moses Otim, 31, a member of the Ojemorun farmers group

"Since being part of a farmer's group, I have diversified my family source of income through borrowing money from Ojemorun Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) where I joined as a member. I now deal with business in produce which I sell and get a profit which I use to pay for my son's fees in a tailoring school, buying scholastics for other children in primary level, and other domestic obligations - medical care, buying food. I have borrowed money three times from the group.

"As the chair of the group I have been able to share experiences with other group members; and this has made me more focused and confident. I look forward to building an iron sheet-roofed house, educating my children up to university level, having livestock - goats, cattle - and enough food to have three meals a day in my family.

"Other members of the group have been able to borrow money to carry out different income generating activities, especially women, which has motivated group members.

"More people are requesting to join their groups."

He adds: "In the future, my group plans to save money to buy a grinding machine to help process produce and generate income for the group members, we would like to ensure each participating member's household has enough food to afford three meals a day and have excess for sale to generate household income, we want to open an account in the bank to safeguard our savings, lobby for more support from different stakeholders."

Empowerment

Part of the project is to empower villagers through sharing information about their rights

Margaret Aniko, member of a VHT

Margaret takes part in the weekly radio talk show started by Amref on local station Delta FM.

She takes off time with her family to attend this weekly one hour radio talk show from 6pm to 7pm. It is too late to journey back to Katine, so Margaret, 30, stays with her brother in-law in Soroti town.

Margaret is able to responde to queries on a range of health-related topics while on air. Out of the studio people often want to ask more questions, and has become a local celebrity.

"I feel I am more empowered and worthy of being valued with equal footing with my husband."